All About Crystal Meth History & Usage

A comprehensive library of facts and information
about the street drug known as crystal meth

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The sole purpose of this website is to provide a comprehensive reference of up-to-date information on crystal meth and crystal methamphetamine addiction. Addiction on Crystal meth is an epidemic in this is country and around the world. We hope by offering this portal of facts and data it will help the families, friends and ultimately those who suffer from this devastating and insidious problem

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What is Crystal Meth?

Crystal meth is a very addictive, harmful and dangerous form of methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is a type of amphetamine, speed or stimulant. Methamphetamine's chemical structure is very similar to amphetamines, but it has a far more pronounced effect on the user's central nervous system. The word crystal refers to its crystalline appearance and the term "meth" is short for methamphetamine. It is usually sold in small cubes of odorless, bitter-tasting crystals. Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant that strongly activates certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Crystal meth users feel a short yet intense "rush" when the drug is initially administered. The effects of methamphetamine include increased activity, decreased appetite, and a sense of well being that can last from 20 minutes to 12 hours.

How crystal meth is used

Methamphetamine comes in several forms and can be smoked, snorted, swallowed or injected. The drug alters the user's mood in different ways, depending on how it is taken. Immediately after smoking the drug or injecting it intravenously, the user experiences an intense rush or "flash" that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Snorting or oral ingestion produces euphoria, a high but not an intense rush. Snorting produces effects within 3 to 5 minutes, and oral ingestion produces effects within 15 to 20 minutes. As with similar stimulants, methamphetamine most often is used in a "binge and crash" pattern. Because tolerance for methamphetamine occurs within minutes, users try to maintain the high by using the drug continuously, or binging, on the drug.

Production of Methamphetamines

Methamphetamine is manufactured in clandestine laboratories using store bought materials and is the most prevalent synthetic drug manufactured in the United States . The ease of manufacturing methamphetamine and its highly addictive potential has caused the use of the drug to increase rapidly throughout the U.S. and world. The methamphetamine problem was originally concentrated in the West but has spread into every major metropolitan area of the United States .

History of Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine was originally used in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers. The experimental medical use of amphetamines began in the 1920's. It was introduced in most of the world in the form of the pharmaceutical Benzedrine . The drug was used by the militaries of several nations, especially the air forces, to fight fatigue and increase alertness among servicemen. After decades of reports of abuse, the FDA banned Benzedrine inhalers, and limited amphetamines to prescription use in 1959, but illegal use began to gradually increase. Medical use for weight loss is still approved in some countries, but is regarded as obsolete and dangerous in, for example, the United States . Amphetamines are usually not used by athletes in sports involving extreme cardiovascular efforts, as methamphetamine and amphetamine put a great deal of additional stress on the heart. The United States Air Force uses amphetamines as stimulants for pilots, calling them "go-pills." After a mission, the Air Force issues a "no-go pill" to help the pilot sleep. Amphetamines have been popular among some truck drivers, construction workers, and factory workers whose jobs require long or irregular shift work or automatic, repetitive tasks. It is for this reason that they are sometimes labeled a "redneck drug." They are also used by white-collar workers trying to stay alert during long hours of multitasking, and by students hoping to improve their academic performance. There has also been at least one report of the coercive administration of amphetamines to cannery workers in Thailand , in order to enhance productivity (Seabrook, 1996). The drug was also popular in the UK during the 1960s and 70s, playing a large part in Mod culture and later used by punks to continue dancing through the night.

Legal Classification

In the United States , amphetamine and methamphetamine are Schedule II controlled drugs, classified as a CNS (Central Nervous System) Stimulant. A Schedule II drug is classified as one that has a high potential for abuse, has a currently-accepted medical use and is used under severe restrictions, and has a high possibility of severe psychological and physiological dependence. Internationally, amphetamine is a Schedule II drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances .

Street names of Crystal Meth

Crystal meth is also referred to as ice, crystal, glass, tweak and Tina.

About Amphetamine

Amphetamine is one of the standard treatments for ADHD. Beneficial effects can include improved impulse control, improved concentration, decreased sensory over stimulation, and decreased irritability. These effects can be dramatic, particularly in young children. The ADHD medication Adderall is composed of four different amphetamine salts, Adderall XR is a timed release formulation of these same salt forms. When used within the recommended doses, side-effects like loss of appetite tend to decrease over time. However, amphetamines last longer in the body than methylphenidate and tend to have stronger side-effects on appetite and sleep. Amphetamines are also a standard treatment for narcolepsy as well as other sleeping disorders. They are generally effective over long periods of time without producing addiction or physical dependence. Amphetamines are sometimes used to augment anti-depressant therapy in treatment-resistant depression.